Flurry of pre-election legal cases is now ‘standardized’ strategy, experts say
A flurry of U.S. election-related lawsuits are playing out in courts nationwide with more than 160 cases already on the books, and experts say that’s just par for the course during a modern presidential contest. At least 165 election-related lawsuits have already been filed, the majority focusing on issues such as who should be eligible to vote, how ballots are cast and counted, and how to ensure election security and protect against alleged voter fraud. But several legal analysts say they doubt that any of these lawsuits will have a protracted impact on the 2024 election and describe the nature of the claims as fairly standard fare, especially during the more than two decades since George W. Bush fended off Al Gore and a mountain of legal challenges to win the 2020 presidential election. “I think we’re going to have a lot of litigation, but I would be surprised if we have any jugular hints,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital. TEXAS CAN PROBE ‘VOTE HARVESTING’ THROUGH ELECTION DAY, APPEALS COURT RULES The most high-profile lawsuits to date have been filed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which are the seven battleground states that carry a combined total of 93 electoral votes and which are widely expected to help decide the election in favor of either Democrat Vice President Harris or Republican former President Trump. The close race and wave of recent court cases have led some observers to fear that the lawsuits will either disenfranchise would-be voters, keep one or the other candidate’s supporters from participating in the election, or generate doubts over voting results after the race is decided. But such concerns are likely unfounded, Turley notes. “In the five presidential elections I’ve covered, I don’t think any pre-election challenge had a huge impact,” he said. Turley added that preliminary lawsuits are increasingly used by both parties as a “placeholder” of sorts, both to fuel their own respective narratives about the election and to create a pre-existing record of problems in swing states, which they can then revisit after the election. And it’s not as if this is a new strategy. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION The U.S. saw a “similar ramping up in 2016 and 2020. I think the closest before then was Bush v. Gore,” Turley said. The standard then was to “ramp up [cases] after the election,” he added. “Now it’s become standardized to line up hundreds of attorneys [beforehand], and we’re seeing the same trajectory.” In the wake of the 2020 election, Trump’s campaign filed 60 lawsuits attempting to challenge the election results in key swing states. And while the number of lawsuits was unusual, experts note that the practice itself is actually quite standard. In fact, the early wave of court filings is actually better for lawyers and judges, given the tight time frame between the elections, state election certifications and Inauguration Day, according to Andrew McCarthy, a former U.S. assistant attorney general for the Southern District of New York. That’s part of the driver behind the early filings in many states, he told Fox News, adding that most of the lawsuits had been filed months earlier and are just now making their way before judges and appellate courts in affected states. From there, judges prefer to deal with them as quickly as possible, he said. “Courts don’t mind getting involved in this area if it’s to be a referee on what the rules ought to be” for an election, McCarthy told Fox News Digital. “But they never want to be in a position of looking like they’re deciding the election.” CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP In other words, the more they can rule on ahead of the election to avoid the appearance of bias or political sway, the better, he said. “If you’re going to do this right and competently in a way that is representative of the way the legal system is supposed to work, you have to litigate these issues before the election,” McCarthy said. “Because the time frame after the election is just too compressed to do anything in the way of a meaningful election investigation, especially if the issue is fraud.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
US to provide Ukraine with another $425M worth of supplies to help defend itself against Russia
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced Wednesday that it will provide Ukraine with an additional $425 million worth of supplies and weapons as it continues to defend itself against Russian forces. According to a press release from the DoD, this is the 67th tranche of equipment from DoD inventories being sent to Ukraine from the Biden administration since August 2021. The Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package is estimated to hold a value of about $425 million and will provide Ukraine with the ability to meet its most urgent needs in terms of air defense, air-to-ground weapons, rocket systems and artillery munitions, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons. Particularly, the capabilities being provided to Ukraine by the U.S. included additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS); RIM-7 missiles and support for air defense; Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); air-to-ground munitions; 150mm and 105mm artillery ammunition; tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs); small arms and ammunition; grenades, thermals and training equipment; demolitions equipment and munitions; and spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training and transportation. PUTIN WARNS US, NATO RISK WAR WITH RUSSIA IF LONG-RANGE STRIKE BANS LIFTED FOR UKRAINE “The United States is committed to supporting Ukraine with the equipment it needs to strengthen its position on the battlefield, defend its territory and people from the Kremlin’s brutal aggression, and secure a just and lasting peace,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. “As President Biden has made clear, the United States and the international coalition we have assembled will continue to stand with Ukraine.” Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2025, and both sides have made little gains on the battlefield. As the winter fighting season begins soon, the Ukrainian government needs to step up its efforts to recruit new soldiers, train them and provide the necessary military equipment to win the war, the country said. ZELENSKYY DOWNPLAYS COMMENT THAT TRUMP DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO END RUSSIA’S WAR WITH UKRAINE With no end in sight, mobilization is proceeding according to plans laid out by the Ukrainian government. In April, Ukraine passed a mobilization law to reform the military recruitment process as the war continues and casualties stack up. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told Fox News Digital the aim of the law is to make recruitment more efficient and transparent. PUTIN LOWERS THRESHOLD FOR NUCLEAR RESPONSE AS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES NEW FUNDING TO UKRAINE Umerov said that the positive numbers show that Ukrainians are ready to “defend their land with weapons in their hands.” Still, he said Ukraine needs help from its international partners. “We have enough troops. However, we need support from international partners in weapons and equipment, and we require it fast.” Umerov said Ukraine desperately needs modern Western-made air defense systems and a sufficient supply of ammunition for these systems. Ukraine needs a multi-layered air defense system to protect critical infrastructure and long-range capability to strike airfields and other military facilities deep inside Russia. So far, the Biden administration has been hesitant to consent to the need for long-range systems for fear of antagonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and escalating a possible confrontation with Russia. Official data on Ukrainian battlefield casualties are unreliable, but the U.S. estimates that some 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and between 100,000 and 120,000 wounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the goal is to mobilize up to 500,000 additional conscripts for future war efforts. Fox News’ Chris Massaro contributed to this report.
Striking Boeing workers boo after Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell criticizes Trump
A top Senate Democrat was booed by striking Boeing workers in Seattle on Tuesday after she disparaged former President Trump and blamed him for housing shortages. “Housing everywhere in the United States of America is expensive as all get out. We haven’t built enough supply,” Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairwoman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told striking members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751. “I was in a key negotiation five years ago to get a bipartisan bill that would have built millions, hundreds of thousands, up to a million units by now, but Donald Trump came in and squashed that deal.” LAKEN RILEY ACT SPONSOR BLASTS BILL CLINTON’S CLAIM ABOUT GEORGIA STUDENT’S DEATH She was drowned out by booing from the crowd in addition to some inaudible remarks. “My point is this,” the senator began again after being unable to speak over the disruption. “Everywhere in America we need more affordable housing.” “When you first hear that audio clip, it appears that they’re booing whatever Donald Trump had done. The exact opposite is true,” IAM 751 union member Dan Zahlman said in an interview Tuesday with “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH Seattle. SENATE DEMS TARGET BLACK VOTERS WITH NEW AD AS HARRIS’ SUPPORT FALLS SHORT “She was trying to interject some left-wing radical politics into what is a very rare labor opportunity for IAM members to be able to try to make real gains in their retirement benefits. And that’s not what we were there for. She did not have a friendly audience to spew that at. “I don’t think she realizes… but there is a tremendous amount of Donald Trump support from union membership,” he added. “All anybody has to do is go through a union parking lot at a Boeing plant, and you’ll see a lot of Trump stickers on bumpers.” ‘A LOT OF TRUMP SIGNS’: RESIDENTS IN BLUE STRONGHOLD MILWAUKEE BREAK DOWN 2024 ELECTION The senator is up for re-election in blue Washington next month. Democrats are heavily favored to hold onto the seat in the state. Cantwell’s office and campaign did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. The union voted last month to begin striking, rejecting a contract that would have raised pay for members 25% over a period of four years. The IAM 751 union has about 33,000 members. ‘I WAS MUCH BETTER OFF’: THESE VOTERS BACK TRUMP IN TOP BATTLEGROUND COUNTY “This is about respect, this is about the past and this is about fighting for our future,” IAM District 751 President Jon Holden said at the time. In its own statement on the strike announcement, Boeing said, “The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union, and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.” The company indicated in a regulatory filing this week it expects to use a stock and debt offering to raise about $25 billion, while also beginning a $10 billion credit agreement to offset losses from the strike as debt payments loom. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News Politics: Ex-Vegas pol gets life in the slammer
Welcome to the Fox News’ Politics newsletter, with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Here’s what’s happening… -New poll shows Harris, Trump splitting two key states –North Carolina prepares to launch in-person early voting with mountain areas still recovering from Helene -FBI says ISIS was behind foiled mass shooting plot on Election Day A former Las Vegas-area Democratic politician convicted of killing an investigative journalist who had written critical stories about him was told by a judge Wednesday that he must spend at least 28 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. The judge invoked sentencing enhancements to add eight years to the minimum 20 years to life sentence that a jury set in August after finding Robert Telles guilty of killing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German outside German’s home during Labor Day weekend in 2022. German, 69, spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas. At the time of German’s death, Telles, 47, was the elected administrator of a Clark County office that handles unclaimed estate and probate property cases…Read more ‘SHOCKING’: FBI quietly updates violent crime data to show increase, not decrease, under Biden-Harris…Read more ‘CUT HER OWN PATH’?: White House: Biden is not holding Harris back, has been ‘really clear about passing the torch’…Read more ‘60 MINUTES’ IN THE HOT SEAT: CBS accused of ‘significant and intentional news distortion’ in FCC complaint over ’60 Minutes’ edit…Read more ‘HARD TO BELIEVE’: Secret Service trained at mock White House that Hollywood producer Tyler Perry built as stage…Read more ‘SHAM CHARITY’: Biden admin outlaws Palestinian organization for funding terrorism: ‘Sham charity’…Read more ‘BETRAYED’ TAXPAYERS: Sen. Cotton says Biden-Harris likely prolonged Gaza war, let aid go to terrorists: ‘Betrayed’ taxpayers…Read more BURSTING THE BUBBLE: ‘China is our enemy’: GOP lawmaker shoots down Chinese spy balloon in new ad…Read more ‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’: Cruz, Allred trade barbs in heated Texas Senate debate: ‘Extreme,’ ‘threat to democracy’…Read more KEYSTONE FIREWORKS: Chinese investments, rebukes for ‘preaching’ take center stage at contentious Casey v. McCormick rematch…Read more WHO’S MORE ACCESSIBLE?: Trump-Vance ticket has done a combined 79 interviews since August compared to 43 for Harris-Walz…Read more CLIMATE ON THE BALLOT: Voters to face climate-related ballot initiatives, such as repealing law to reduce emissions by 95% by 2050…Read more ‘SOLID’ GROUND GAME: From Christmas City to the coal mines: An inside look at the Dems’ ground game in PA’s crucial Lehigh Valley…Read more COURTING REPUBLICANS: Harris teaming up with top anti-Trump Republican ahead of Bret Baier Fox News interview…Read more FALLING SHORT: Senate Dems target Black voters with new ad as Harris’ support falls short…Read more ‘CONSCIOUS CHOICE’: Laken Riley Act sponsor blasts Bill Clinton’s claim about Georgia student’s death…Read more ‘OUT OF TOUCH’: Michigan community leader tells CBS ‘a lot of Black men are not into the Harris campaign’…Read more ENEMY WITHIN: Accused Afghan terrorist radicalized two years after entering US, officials say …Read more NOT SO FAST: Violent convict’s taxpayer-funded sex change challenged by state AG after judge’s approval…Read more MOVING FORWARD: Texas can probe ‘vote harvesting’ through Election Day, appeals court rules…Read more ‘WE ARE IN SHOCK’: Photojournalist killed in stabbing, son arrested…Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Border Patrol facing large-scale surveillance camera outage with ‘significant impacts’: report
The Border Patrol is facing a large-scale outage of security cameras at the southern border with a memo reportedly warning it is having “significant impacts” on operations in apprehending migrants, although officials note there are other layers of security in place as well. NBC News reported that an October memo said nearly one-third of cameras, roughly 150 of 500 cameras on surveillance towers, were out due to technical issues. “The nationwide issue is having significant impacts on [Border Patrol] operations,” the memo said. CHOPPERS, DOGS AND TOWERS: INSIDE THE FED’S FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INTRUDERS The Remote Video Surveillance Systems are nearly 15 years old and are used to monitor areas of the border without the need for regular on the ground patrols. Agents will rely on a variety of detection and surveillance, including AI-powered towers, helicopters, K-9s, the border wall and the agents themselves. In response to a Fox News Digital query on the report, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it uses a multilayered approach that includes various technological advantages to enhance capabilities. “While older technology like the Remote Video Surveillance Systems (RVSS) have been helpful operational tools for more than 15 years, they require significant maintenance and upgrades as they pass the end of their planned lifecycle. As systems go down, CBP works to resolve the issue by refreshing systems with new camera optics or replaces them entirely with a combination of mobile tower systems, aerial platforms, relocatable tower systems, and fixed observation posts to provide coverage in critical areas,” a spokesperson said. Agents have noted the helpfulness of Automated Surveillance Towers, which are more advanced and use AI to track migrants and help agents locate them. CBP has deployed more than 300 of those towers. Officials say that RVSS is an old, costly system requiring regular maintenance and dedicated staff to monitor the cameras. That is opposed to the newer systems that use AI and provide alerts to agents in real time. TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘OPERATION AURORA’ TO TARGET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GANG MEMBERS IN COLORADO “CBP continues to install newer, more advanced technology that embrace artificial intelligence and machine learning to replace outdated systems, reducing the need to have agents working non-interdiction functions within a local command center.” However, the National Border Patrol Council’s branch in Laredo, Texas, recently highlighted the issues and told agents that it “shares your concerns that inoperable camera towers along the border are causing serious Officer Safety and Border Security concerns.” “We hope this issue is resolved soon, as the problem has been ongoing for quite some time!” they said in a Facebook post. “The American Taxpayer has made significant investments in technology along the border, and they expect that this technology is operational.” The report comes as border security remains a top issue ahead of the 2024 election. Both presidential candidates, Republican former President Trump and Democrat Vice President Harris, have pledged to provide more funding to the border and have been attempting to show voters that they are the stronger candidate for securing the border. Polls show that Trump is generally the more trusted candidate on the issue among voters.
Ineffective planning, lack of connections has Dems on edge in ‘key’ battleground: report
Fears are allegedly mounting within the Democratic Party that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is failing to effectively connect with voters in Pennsylvania – the battleground state that will likely determine the outcome of the election – a report claimed. Alleged poor campaign management and staffers lacking relationships with Democratic political leaders in the Keystone State are allegedly rocking the campaign, according to Politico. The outlet reported that Democrats are worried that the campaign’s state manager lacks an understanding of Philadelphia, the state’s largest city, while campaign staffers have allegedly not invited local Democratic politicians to events in the state, and have not effectively deployed surrogates across the state. Politico reported that it spoke with 20 Democratic politicians, allies, and party leaders for the story, who reported they are restless over Harris’ campaigning efforts. POPULAR PA DEMOCRATIC MAYOR WARNS TRUMP IS ‘OUT-MESSAGING’ HARRIS: ‘I GET MORE FROM COLBERT’ Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment on Politico’s report, but did not receive a reply. One union leader in the state, Ryan Boyer, pointed to the Harris campaign’s Pennsylvania manager, Nikki Lu, as part of the issue allegedly affecting the campaign in the battleground state. “I have concerns about Nikki Lu,” Boyer, who serves as business manager for the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, told the outlet. “I don’t think she understands Philadelphia.” “We need young African American men to come home. We need African American women… to come out in record numbers, and disaffected African Americans,” he added. “We have surrogates in this area that have tremendous credibility in our communities. And Nikki Lu was slow to get to them.” HARRIS PLAYS MASHUP OF TRUMP’S ‘ENEMY WITHIN’ COMMENTS AT ERIE RALLY, AFTER CROWD CHANTS ‘LOCK HIM UP’ Lu is a native of Pittsburgh, which sits on the western side of the massive state, and about 300 miles away from Philadelphia. The campaign is focused on amplifying voter turnout in both the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, the outlet reported. During separate closed door meetings last month in Philadelphia, Latino and Black Democratic leaders sounded the alarm about their concerns, including requesting they have a greater presence at events and that the campaign acquire a “more sophisticated understanding” of how to engage with diverse voting demographics, according to five people who attended the meetings. “I feel like we’re going to win here, but we’re going to win it in spite of the Harris state campaign,” a Democratic elected official in Pennsylvania who spoke to Politico under the condition of anonymity. “Pennsylvania is such a mess, and it’s incredibly frustrating.” PA TOWN ROILED BY TALK OF MIGRANT HOUSING IN CIVIL-WAR-ERA ORPHANAGE BUILDING The Harris campaign told Politico that they have stronger outreach to minority voters in the state compared to Trump’s camp, but did not address the outlet’s question regarding alleged concerns that Lu lacks an understanding of Philadelphia. “Our campaign is running the largest and most sophisticated operation in Pennsylvania history,” Harris’ national campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez said in comment to Fox Digital on Wednesday. “While Trump’s team still refuses to tell reporters how few staff they have in the state, we have 50 coordinated offices and nearly 400 staff on the ground,” she said. “While the Trump campaign closed its ‘minority outreach offices,’ we invested in targeted advertising to Black and Latino voters starting in August of 2023 and have now spent more than any previous presidential campaign on outreach to these communities. The Vice President is also campaigning aggressively in Pennsylvania – spending 1 out of 3 days in the state in September,” The campaign also directed Fox Digital to a recent New York Times story detailing reported GOP divisions in the state’s northwestern area. Trump campaign spokesperson Kush Desai told Politico that the Trump campaign has more than two dozen offices in the state. “There’s no part of the commonwealth that we’re ignoring,” he said. Fox News Digital spoke with Salvatore J. Panto Jr., the longtime Democratic mayor of Easton, which is located near Allentown and about 75 miles north of Philadelphia, who said, “Democrats are being out-messaged by the Republicans.” “In the one commercial where Kamala Harris is saying, ‘Well, that’s Bidenomics,’ I think that is hurting this because I think the Trump campaign has done a much better job of saying, ‘Things are really bad,’” Panto said during a Monday interview with Fox News Digital. BIDEN’S OLD BACKYARD NOW A KEY PENNSYLVANIA BATTLEGROUND FILLED WITH ‘PURPLE’ VOTES “I get more of that on the Stephen Colbert show at night than I do from the Kamala Harris campaign. I think she should be pointing out that his 2025 plan is much different than her plan. And she’s not afraid to talk about her plan. He hasn’t said ‘boo’ about his.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Political eyes are locked on Pennsylvania yet again this election cycle, as Keystone State voters are championed as the ones who will likely determine the outcome of the federal election. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 when he successfully campaigned against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but lost the state in 2020 against President Biden. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Harris touts oil production during 2024 run after saying companies need to ‘pay the price’ for climate change
Vice President Kamala Harris is facing criticism for touting oil production under the Biden administration after becoming the Democratic nominee, while previously calling for such companies to “pay the price” for climate change. During her 2019 presidential bid, Harris told voters that she was in favor of the Department of Justice investigating oil companies, such as Chevron and Shell, for “profiting off” pollution. “These big oil companies, these fossil fuel companies, look, you should be really prepared to look at a serious fine or be charged with a crime. Because here’s the thing, these big oil companies and these fossil fuel companies have been making so much money and profiting off of this pollution,” Harris said. Yet, after becoming the Democratic nominee, the vice president began touting the “largest increase in domestic oil production in history” under the Biden-Harris administration. CNN SEGMENT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON KAMALA HARRIS’ FLIP-FLOP ON FAR-LEFT POSITIONS “My position is that we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil. We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely on foreign oil,” Harris said during the one and only presidential debate against former President Trump in swing state Pennsylvania. “I am proud that as vice president over the last four years, we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy while we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels,” Harris said. Fox News Digital asked the Harris campaign whether she still supported investigating big oil for pollution, but did not receive a response. HARRIS DODGING FLIP FLOP ATTACKS AS FACELESS SURROGATES FLIP KEY POSITIONS: ‘PLAYING POLITICS’ CNN called out Harris for flipping on the issue since becoming the Democratic nominee. “This is a very sharp turn from where Harris once stood on this issue not so very long ago,” host Erin Burnett said on Wednesday. Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, who signed a bill in 2023 to mandate utilities produce 100% carbon-free power by 2040, echoed her most recent stance on the issue. “America’s producing more natural gas and more oil than at any time in our history,” Walz said during a recent interview with WGAL 8. The U.S. Oil and Gas Association (OGA) slammed Harris’ resurfaced comment from the debate, saying Harris had “nothing to do” with domestic oil production growth. CNN SEGMENT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON KAMALA HARRIS’ FLIP-FLOP ON FAR-LEFT POSITIONS “In just four years, you and POTUS created the single worst regulatory and legislative environment in our industry’s 160-year history. You’ve put into place 250 separate actions designed to put us out of business. You wanted to put our CEOs in jail, confiscate our capital and prevent our investors from getting any return,” OGA wrote in a post on X formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. “And in spite of all that – we worked around you, over you and have beat your team. Now you want to take credit for what we did in spite of you. Not gonna let it happen.” Representatives from the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) said Harris’ acknowledgment of an oil production boost means that a strong U.S. oil and natural gas industry is good for the U.S. economy. “This election season, Vice President Harris is taking credit for production records because she knows we need more energy, not less. Despite her policies and remarks derived from environmentalists’ talking points about shutting down our industry, I believe Harris also knows American oil and natural gas producers have the cleanest oil and natural gas operations in the world and adhere to the highest environmental and safety standards,” Jeff Eshelman, IPAA president and CEO, told Fox News Digital. “The United States needs the energy, and we should not rely on foreign adversaries as the Vice President said.” Harris recently shifted her stance on fracking, coming out in support of the method this cycle after saying that “there’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking” during a CNN town hall in 2020.
Ex-ICE official warns Tren de Aragua has grown faster inside US than murderous rival gang: ‘Put them out now’
A former ICE field director is warning that a violent Venezuelan gang is more organized than the infamous MS-13, and is backing former President Donald Trump’s plan to stamp out the gang in Colorado and across the U.S. John Fabbricatore, who served as an ICE field director and is currently a GOP congressional candidate in Colorado, told Fox News Digital that he would not describe Tren de Aragua as a gang. The organization has popped up throughout the U.S. and has been linked to a number of crimes amid the crisis at the southern border. “TdA is a true organization. They’re not a gang. They have a better structure than MS-13 ever had. So I think that’s the difference and if we look at TdA, just in the amount of time that TdA have been in the United States and how fast they’ve grown. When you look at that, you need to realize that they’ve grown faster and gotten into certain aspects of crime better than MS-13 did and MS-13 has been here for 25 years,” he said. NEW REPORT WARNS BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG’S FOOTPRINT WILL REMAIN IN US ‘FOR DECADES’ Tren de Aragua is believed to have started in the Tocoron prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua and has since expanded into Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the U.S. There have been numerous crimes in the last year that have been linked to TdA, in states including Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New York. This week, an apartment management company in Colorado sounded the alarm on the troubles it has been facing as the group has taken over multiple apartment blocks in Aurora. Fabbricatore says that the U.S. should look to other countries where TdA has a presence. TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘OPERATION AURORA’ TO TARGET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GANG MEMBERS IN COLORADO “TdA has put a foothold and has built up structure and foundation in other South American countries after leaving Venezuela in just a few short years. And when we look at that and we see what they’re already doing in the United States, that’s the worry,” he says. “And I think enough news organizations are not looking into that to see how fast TDA has grown in such a short amount of time. And that’s why we have to do what we have to do. We have to put them out now. We have to make sure that they don’t grow to get a strong foothold,” he warned. BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN STREET GANG SPARKS FEAR IN US AMID MIGRANT SURGE: WHAT TO KNOW Trump said, if elected, the federal government would “send elite squads of ICE, Border Patrol and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left in this country.” Fabbricatore, who was given a shout-out by Trump at the rally, said he thinks those opposing the program are misunderstanding it. ‘I think President Trump’s basic want on this is just to protect the United States, protect United States citizens from the crimes that are being committed against them from foreign born criminal organizations. And if this is something that he’s got to pull out of a hat because no one else is doing anything about it, then it’s something that that needs to be needs to be tried,” he said. Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.
Accused Afghan terrorist radicalized 2 years after entering US, officials say
U.S. officials believe the Afghan national accused of plotting an Election Day terror attack was radicalized two years after coming to the U.S. on humanitarian parole as part of Operation Allies Welcome. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi initiated an extension of his lawful parole status in August 2023, Fox News has learned, and cleared another round of screening and vetting at that time, adjudicated through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). AFGHAN NATIONAL ACCUSED IN TERROR PLOT WAS NOT VETTED FOR SIV STATUS, DESPITE PAST BIDEN ADMIN CLAIMS He was previously vetted in September 2021 when he was paroled into the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security as part of Operation Allies Welcome. At both junctures, officials say no derogatory information was missed – they believe none existed at that time. It wasn’t until August 2024 that derogatory information on Tawhedi was identified simultaneously by federal law enforcement partners and DHS’ external recurrent vetting systems. When Tawhedi popped up on the federal law enforcement radar, the recurrent vetting systems had also flagged him, and DHS was already communicating with the FBI at the local level. U.S. authorities acted quickly on this derogatory information, and also tipped off French authorities to a relative of Tawhedi – who they say was engaged in discussion about a similar planned attack in France. AFGHAN ISIS TERROR PLOT: BIDEN ADMIN AGENCIES POINT FINGERS AS LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS This past weekend, French authorities arrested a 22-year-old Afghan national, a relative of Tawhedi, on suspicion of planning an ISIS-inspired attack in France. The FBI shared this statement with Fox News’ David Spunt, regarding the French arrest: “The recent arrests in France and by the FBI’s Oklahoma City field office demonstrate the importance of partnerships to detect and disrupt potential terrorist attacks. The coordination between the United States and French law enforcement contributed to these outcomes. The FBI’s top priority is preventing acts of terrorism, and we are committed to working with our partners both overseas and in the United States to uncover any plots and protect our communities from violence.”
‘China is our enemy’: GOP lawmaker shoots down Chinese spy balloon in new ad
A Republican congressman released a new advertisement showing him shooting a Chinese spy balloon out of the sky. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., is running for a second full term in the House of Representatives, having first won a special election in 2022 to succeed indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry. The 30-second video clip emphasizes Flood’s record as a China hawk by using comments from the congressman himself, while emphasizing China’s imminent threat with a Chinese flag-covered balloon floating across the screen. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM ONLY VP DEBATE BETWEEN VANCE AND WALZ BEFORE ELECTION “China is our enemy. Plain and simple. The Chinese Communist Party hacks our computers, buys up land near military bases, and spies on our armed forces, even here in Nebraska,” Flood says in the ad. “That’s why I’m fighting to keep Chinese technology off our cell towers, stop China from buying Nebraska farmland, and protect Americans from Chinese spying and cyberattacks.” Toward the end of the video, Flood promises to do “whatever it takes” to defend Nebraska while cocking a pistol and blowing the balloon to smithereens. TRUMP IMPERSONATES ELON MUSK TALKING ABOUT ROCKETS: ‘I’M DOING A NEW STAINLESS STEEL HUB’ It’s a callback to when a suspected Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. airspace and subsequently floated across multiple states, at a level low enough to be seen with the naked eye, before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina after several days. Republicans used the incident as evidence of their criticism that President Biden has not been tough enough on China, arguing that the surveillance device was sent by the Chinese military with little fear of U.S. reprisal. TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT’S DEBATE ADVICE FOR TRUMP: ‘LET HARRIS SPEAK’ Beijing has denied that the balloon was a spying tool. It comes after new revelations of a swarm of unidentified drones over a sensitive military site in Virginia caused alarm. U.S. officials were stumped in December last year when the unidentified aircraft flew over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for more than two weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.